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Glite Dictionary
to incapacitate

to incapacitate

46 7.5
To make a person or thing not able to do normal activities
  • verb
  • /ˌɪn.kəˈpæs.ɪ.teɪt/
translation icon : incapacitar
  • Youngsters from single-parent families are unemployed or incapacitated more often than youngsters from other types of families.
  • become incapacitated
  • totally incapacitated
  • physically incapacitated

It's not she can't if you're telling me that there's things that incapacitate her from being able to.

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Examples

  • In addition, care was taken to only temporarily incapacitate the power plants, not to destroy them.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Despite these measures, the patient's symptoms incapacitated her to the point where she was unable to work.

    Academic text (2003)

  • ADHD is a serious medical condition that can incapacitate a person from functioning at his or her fullest potential.

    Academic text (2003)

  • If he cannot be arrested, prosecuted, or otherwise incapacitated, at least he can be removed and deported.

    Academic text (2009)

  • In 1964, when he was sixty-four and I was thirty-four, my father suffered an incapacitating stroke.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The car accident incapacitated him, leaving him unable to walk for months.

  • In a surprise attack, the enemy used gas to incapacitate the soldiers without causing fatalities.

  • The new law aims to incapacitate repeat offenders by enforcing stricter penalties.

Synonyms

to paralyze
vsto incapacitate
  • US
266 5.3

Stop a person or system from moving and acting

is about broader loss of normal functioning beyond just movement inability
to disable
vsto incapacitate
87 3.5

Make a device or feature stop working

is broader, causing inability to perform normal actions rather than only one
to immobilize
vsto incapacitate
21 6.0

To stop movement or action

is broader, covering any loss of normal function beyond mere movement loss
to stun
vsto incapacitate
11 4.0

To make someone unconscious or dazed for a short time by a hit

usually means longer or complete inability to perform normal actions, not only temporary daze
to inactivate
vsto incapacitate
4 5.8

To make something stop working

is used for people and things, causing inability to perform normal actions
to pinion
vsto incapacitate
  • NSFW
1 9.5

To tie someone's arms or legs so they cannot move

is more general, causing inability to function not only by binding limbs

Antonyms

to enable
459 2.3

To give someone the ability or chance to do something

to empower
157 4.2

Give someone the power and confidence to do something

How Severe

to paralyze
  • US
266 5.3
to incapacitate
46 7.5
to disable
87 3.5
to impair
61 5.1
to weaken
305 2.8

Surface Forms

incapacitate infinitive
incapacitated past
incapacitated past participle
incapacitating present participle
incapacitates third person singular

Morphology

incapacitate = capacitate (semi-transparent) = in + capacitate

The form is analyzable as in- (not) + capacitate (to make capable), but 'capacitate' is a relatively rare verb that many learners may not know, so the derivation is not fully accessible.

Etymology

Incapacitate comes from in- meaning 'not' and the same root as capacity and capable, which mean 'ability' or 'power'. So to incapacitate someone is to make them 'not able' or to take away their ability to act.